McGregor: Floyd needs me

Conor McGregor has claimed Floyd Mayweather “needs him” and says a big-money super fight will only happen on his terms.

Mayweather, who retired from boxing last year with a perfect 49-0 record, has recently talked up a return to the ring and hinted that he would face UFC superstar McGregor for $100m.

McGregor, the current UFC featherweight champion, says it is Mayweather rather than him who needs the bout more and insisted he would only agree to the fight if he is guaranteed the same amount of money as the 39-year-old American.

McGregor told ESPN: “The leak came out and it was him who leaked the rumour.

“He said he gets $100m, I get $7m. That’s a pay cut to me, I don’t take pay cuts. I thought boxing was where the money was at.

“The $7m is absolutely laughable. If he’s talking $100m I’m also talking $100m. I’m 27 years of age and I’m just about halfway through a $100m contract.”

McGregor has been out of action since losing to Nate Diaz at UFC 196 in March, while Mayweather has not fought since defeating Andre Berto last September.

“He’s getting old now. I have the size, I have the reach, I have the height, I have the youth. He needs me. I don’t need him,” the Irishman added.

“Who else can he fight? He fights someone else in the boxing realm and all of a sudden the pay goes from $100m to $15m. So, he needs me. If he wants to talk, we can talk, but it’s me who’s in control here.

“He can make the all the rules he wants. I know he will not want to fight in a mixed martial arts contest in a true fight. He’ll want in a limited fight there’s no problem, I can do that. I will set aside many other forms of fighting that I practice and focus on one particular craft.”